The present disclosure generally relates to person-support apparatuses, such as hospital beds that may be used in healthcare environments (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, etcetera). In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods of controlling a person-support apparatus using multiple touchscreen displays.
Person-support apparatuses may comprise beds, chairs, stretchers, seats, mattresses, therapy surfaces, operating room tables, furniture, and the like, or other apparatuses that support a person. Hospital beds and stretchers, hospital mattresses, and wheelchairs are examples of such apparatuses that facilitate patient care and transport in healthcare environments. Consumer beds, chairs, and furniture are also examples of person-support apparatuses, as are seats for vehicles, businesses, and venues.
Person-support apparatuses intended for use in healthcare environments are known to include various operational functions or features including support surface movement and reconfiguration, environmental control (e.g., lighting and television control), and nurse call system interfacing. Some person-support apparatuses are also configured to provide therapeutic functions or features to a patient on the support surface, including, for example, pressure redistribution, turning assistance, rotation, percussion and vibration, low air loss, and the like.
Person-support apparatuses that provide one or more of such operational and therapeutic functions or features typically include one or more user interfaces for a caregiver and/or the patient to control the operation of the functions or features. These user interfaces are often provided in user modules which are either fixed in or coupled to a barrier element of the person-support apparatus or are provided as pendants or removable modules that may be stored in the barrier elements. A conventional user module typically includes an independent computing engine for controlling the associated user interface and circuitry for communicating directly with a controller, a control system, or a communications network of the apparatus. In a person-support apparatus containing two or more such user modules, a synchronization algorithm must be employed to coordinate the operation of the user modules.